Song ranking Elsie

So how would you rank the songs on Elsie? Today this is my ranking, though the top 6 kinda swap places every day

1. Blood Loss
2. Crush
3. Black Betty And The Moon
4. Sugar
5. Behold The Hurricane
6. Ladykiller
7. Go Tell Everybody
8. I Witnessed A Crime
9. Last Rites
10. Mary Ann
11. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
12. Cherry Blossoms

So, what's yours?

Thats difficult , mine of the moment is :

1.Ladykiller
2.Blood Loss
3.Black Betty and the Moon
4.Go Tell Everybody
5.Crush
6.Sugar
7.Behold The Hurricane
8. Mary Ann
9. I Believe Jesus Brought us Together
10. Cherry Blossoms
11. Last Rites
12. I Witnessed a Crime

1. Go Tell Everybody
2. Cherry Blossoms
3. Blood Loss
4. Behold the Hurricane
5. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
6. Black Betty & the Moon
7. Ladykiller
8. Mary Ann
9. Crush
10. Sugar
11. Last Rites
12. I Witnessed a Crime
not a lotta space between these songs, it was a tough decision

As others have said, it is difficult to rank the songs on Elsie, as the album is made up of a collection of songs that appear to go together and build off of one another, strengthening the overall album as whole. In my opinion, Elsie should be listened to from start to finish, but in trying to pick out my favorite tracks, it would look something like below (BTW, there's very little space between # 5-10):

1. Crush
2. Go Tell Everybody
3. Ladykiller
4. Mary Ann
5. I Witnessed a Crime
6. Blood Loss
7. Cherry Blossoms
8. Behold the Hurricane
9. Sugar
10. Black Betty and the Moon
11. Last Rites
12. I Believe Jesus Brought us Together

1. Behold the Hurricane
2. Sugar
3. Crush
4. Ladykiller
5. Blood Loss
6. Black Betty & the Moon
7. Go Tell Everybody
8. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
9. Cherry Blossoms
10. Mary Ann
11. I Witnessed A Crime
12. Last Rights

I really like Joey, so that would be pretty high up there, like around Crush.

I find it interesting how some of ours can be total opposites.

Some of these were close, but I'll go with this:

1. I Witnessed a Crime
2. Sugar
3. Behold the Hurricane
4. Mary Ann
5. Black Betty & the Moon
6. Ladykiller
7. Last Rites
8. Crush
9. Blood Loss
10. Go Tell Everybody
11. Cherry Blossoms
12. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together

what have been growers for you guys? like, right now, i'm getting more into mary ann, jesus and black betty. mary ann rocks so hard, and the phil collins fill in the middle just puts it over the edge in pure awesomeness.

Honestly most of the album was a grower for me outside of I Witnessed a Crime and Mary Ann.

1) Blood Loss

It sums up the album so well. It's Brian Fallon writing a better YFW-era Brand New song than Jessie Lacey ever could. (not meaning to slight Lacey. YFW has some great stuff on it). Not quite as good as 1930 or BJAWT but easily one of the best things he's ever written.

2) Go Tell Everyone

Doesn't have the same raw punch factor of Blood Loss, but its right up there it is near perfectness.

3) Cherry Blossoms

I don't get the hate people are giving this song. Its hauntingly beautiful. Much like with the other top songs here I might even stick it fifth on Fallon's best song list.

4) Sugar

not quite as perfect as the top three, but still would fit right at home on a record by The National (and be one of the best songs on the record). Great way to really start the album.

5) I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together.

Sweet, simple, I love seeing a different side of Brian's love life where it isn't just pain, regret, and pining over good memories but instead cherrishing what he has now.

6/7) Behold the Hurricane/Black Betty

I think this shows how deep the record is. Both of these are still *very* good songs.

8/9) I witnessed a crime/Mary Ann

Again, two great songs. But neither of them have caught me in any way like the top seven.

10) Ladykiller

I feel bad having this so low down. Its still a good song, but just doesn't stand out like the rest.

11) Crush

Honestly this song is boring in places. Brian is lyrically better than "I've got a crush on you". The gospel stuff at the end is really cool, and it certainly doesn't break the "Brian Fallon cannot write bad songs" rule, but its like Angry Johnny on American Slang - merely decently songs admist a discography of pure excellence.

(Last rites really doesn't count, so not going to bother ranking it)

1. Crush
2. Blood Loss
3. Mary Ann
4. Ladykiller
5. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
6. Cherry Blossoms
7. I Witnessed A Crime
8. Last Rites
9. Black Betty And The Moon
10. Go Tell Everybody
11. Behold The Hurricane
12. Sugar

Pretty much the opposite of which previews I liked the most.

1. Go Tell Everybody- awesome chorus and coda

2. Crush- just a damn good song with some great guitar and some great lines. the opening lines sum up the whole crush thing just about perfectly. again, awesome coda.

3. Blood Loss- i'm truly haunted by this one. this is a track that bleeds.

4. Black Betty and the Moon- the subtle hook is matched by the subtlety of select lines. Brian brings it vocally.

5. Cherry Blossoms- beautiful melody, a few gorgeous lines.

6. Behold the Hurricane- good rocker. fist pumping is allowed.

7. Mary Ann- nice to hear Brian letting loose on the guitar. appropriate use of the bullet mic.looks like a powerhouse live from the videos

8. I Witnessed a Crime- the organ/bass hook is the best part of the track. lyrics are very good as well. i would definitely enjoy this one more if i had never heard Old Haunts

9. Last Rites- perfect way to start up the car, but not really a stand-alone song.

10. Sugar- sometimes it really hits me, sometimes its just boring. good song.

11. Ladykiller- beginning just always makes me think of Baba O'Riley. lyrics are quality though. i do also feel bad putting this so low.

12. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together- some very well written lyrics, but not all that exciting musically.


i really do like them all.

1. Ladykiller
2. Sugar
3. Blood Loss
4. Go Tell Everybody
5. Behold The Hurricane
6. Cherry Blossoms
7. I Witnessed A Crime
8. Black Betty and The Moon
9. Crush
10. Mary Ann
11. Last Rites
12. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together

This list is severely subject to change.

Also we have the bonus track of Joey which despite not being part of the official album is a good song.

Hypothetically if this wsn't a Concrete Blonde song and THC had written it as part of the album Id include it between my numbers 9-10

1. Sugar

I just love this track. The melody, lyrics, the feel, Brian's singing, the guitarwork. Awesome.

2. Crush

I wasn't impressed with this one based on the samples, but when I heard the end I was pulled over.
The end (If you should go there before I do, God's gonna trouble the water) makes the admittedly weaker (I've got a secret etc.) make sense.

3. Go Tell Everybody

Awesome vocal delivery and lyrics. The end of the song destroys.

5. Mary Ann

This song is really different from previous things Brian has done. More bluesrock influence.
And Brian plays that solo I think, based on the live video's.

4. Behold The Hurricane

I wasn't impressed with this one, but the melancholy lyrics really grew on me.

5. Blood Loss

I'LL YOU WHEN IT'S OVER!! Enough said.

6. Cherry Blossoms

A super slow and sad song. This really is the nighttime song Brian was talking about.
Love the dynamics in the vocals. From falsetto to the bluesy gruff wailing.

7. Lady Killer

The moaning aah's aah's really add to the song.

8. Black Betty and the Moon

The harmonies in the song are really great.

9. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together

This song grew on me, but not as good as the other ones.
Still good though.

10. I Think I Witnessed A Crime

My least favourite, but still like it and it is growing on me.
Cool that it has slide guitar by Ian on it.

1. Crush
2. Black Betty & the Moon
3. Behold the Hurricane
4. Go Tell Everybody
5. Sugar
6. Ladykiller
7. Cherry Blossoms
8. Mary Ann
9. Blood Loss
10. I Witnessed a Crime
11. Last Rites
12. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together

1. hurricane
2. crush
3. sugar
4. black betty
5. crime
6. blood loss
7. go tell
8. jesus
9. rites
10. ladykiller
11. mary ann
12. blossoms

1. Mary Ann
2. Sugar
3. Go Tell Everybody
4. Last Rites
5. Cherry Blossoms
6. I Witnessed A Crime
7. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
8. Hurricane
9. Black Betty And The Moon
10. Lady Killer
11. Crush
12. Blood Loss

Woo hoo, my second post!

I have been listening to "Elsie" pretty much nonstop since I got it and my favorites keep changing. As of right now, I'll go with this:

1. I Witnessed a Crime
2. Sugar
3. Go Tell Everybody
4. Mary Ann
5. Crush
6. Behold the Hurricane
7. Black Betty and the Moon
8. Last Rites
9. Blood Loss
10. Lady Killer
11. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
12. Cherry Blossoms

I honestly love every song, so it kind of makes me sad to rank such amazing songs like Lady Killer, I Believe Jesus..., and Cherry Blossoms so low, but it could change tomorrow.

I don't even think I could begin this list. Sugar and Go Tell Everybody would be near the top and Crush would be somewhere near the bottom, but outside of that, this is definitely one of those albums where my favorite songs are different every time through.

1) Mary Ann is even above god tier. It's so phenominal, and musically much superior to anything TGA has ever done.
----------
2) Witnessed A Crime
3) Go Tell Everybody

1. Blood Loss
2. Ladykiller
3. Sugar
4. Cherry Blossoms
5. Crush
6. Behold The Hurricane
7. Black Betty & The Moon
8. Mary Ann
9. Go Tell Everybody
10. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together
11. I Witnessed A Crime
12. Last Rites

1 Witnessed a Crime
2 Cherry Blossoms
3 Ladykiller
4 Last Rites
5 Sugar
6 Behold The Hurricane
7 Black Betty
8 Mary Ann
9 I Believe Jesus
10 Crush (except the end)
11 Go Tell Everybody
12 Blood Loss

1. Crush
2. Mary Ann
3. Behold the Hurricane
4. Blood Loss
5. Go Tell Everybody
6. Black Betty
7. Sugar
8. Cherry Blossoms
9. Ladykiller
10. Last Rites
11. I Believe Jesus
12. Witnessed a Crime

Allright, this is really tough, but here goes...

Blood Loss
Ladykiller
Behold The Hurricane
Cherry Blossoms
Go Tell Everyody
Crush
Black Betty & the Moon
Sugar
Mary Ann
I Witnessed A Crime
Last Rites
I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together

I listen to this album everyday. I'm obsessed with it, it's crazy, LOL....anyway:

1. Blood Loss

2. Go Tell Everybody

3. Ladykiller

4. Crush

5. Sugar

6. Behold the Hurricane

7. Black Betty & The Moon

8. I witnessed A crime

9. Mary Ann

10. Cherry Blossoms

11. I Believe Jesus....

12. Last Rites

Matilda Noir wrote:

I listen to this album everyday. I'm obsessed with it, it's crazy, LOL....

I was just saying the same thing about myself. I can't get enough of this album! I think I had all the songs memorized in two days. We might have to start a support group for addicts.
Hi, my name is Elsie - oops - I mean Shannon...